Do you own/use a kitchen mortar & pestle?

Cafe Society
1

I watch some cooking channels on YouTube and today I watched one that featured the chef grinding some coriander seeds in a mortar & pestle. It was only notable to me because hers was huge, easily more than twice as large and the one I use, and mine has always seemed a perfectly adequate size for my purposes.

So that got me thinking about shopping for a new one, which got me thinking that of all my friends, I only know of a few that have a mortar and pestle, and of those, only one or two that I know use it with some regularity.

Then I asked a friend if they had one, and they didn’t even know the phrase “mortar & pestle”. When I explained, they said that they did know what they were, just not what they were called and no, they didn’t own one.

So out of nothing more than idle curiosity, I thought I’d see if this ancient implement is widely known and used or if it has finally fallen out of favor in this modern world (or at least here on the Dope).

Do you own and use a mortar & pestle?

2

Own one and use it, mostly to grind spices/seeds.

3

I use mine for ginger tea. I take a decent size hunk (at least a good 5 cc or more) and mush it to a pulp along with a couple teaspoons of sugar. I pack it all into a tea infuser and steep it in a teacup of hot water. yum.

A wrestling coach once tried to tell me the t in pestle was pronounced. A wresTling coach.

4

Haven’t used one since college chemistry labs.
If you buy a new one, might as well get a sturdy one.

5

I have one, two if you count a stupidly large molcajete I inherited. But what do they do that a propeller grinder doesn’t do, faster and easier?

Small ones are an immense PITA to use: the bowl tilts all of the time, spilling ground product everywhere. Or I’m a klutz, I don’t know.

6

Have one, use it regularly.

Using a mortar and pestle is a very tactile experience, which I enjoy.

7

Yep, I have a pretty big Thai one that I bought 15 years ago for about $15-$20 at the Southeast Asian grocery. This appears to be it, or something very similar to it. Size is right, look is right. (I actually broke the pestle part of it a year ago, so I need to replace it. Like the top half of the pestle broke off when I dropped it awkwardly. I still use it fine, but it’s a little goofy looking.)

I typically use it for crushing things into pastes, but also for stuff like cracked pepper and when I don’t feel like getting my spice grinder dirty. Like if I’m only crushing a small amount of spices, it’s faster for me to just do it in the mortar & pestle.

8

I own one that is fairly small (I think, haven’t really compared) and use it for grinding and blending spices when cooking. I don’t use it often, because I don’t cook as often as I should, but it gets the job done with minimal fuss.

9

I have a molcajete, so I’m unsure how to answer. Yeah, yeah, there’s always that one guy that just has to be difficult.

10

I own two.

One for cooking.

The other is for making incense and ritual powders.

11

Own one. I think I use it on average about once a year, but it’s handy to have it when I need it.

12

Emphasis mine.

Until I read this thread I didn’t know the word molcajete, and I answered the poll in the affirmative because I regularly use my big-ass mortar and pestle.

13

This. Also have a molcajete I use for guacamole.

14

I used it to grind up bouillon cubes for a chicken dish that I make, but now I buy granular bouillon so not so much any more.

15

I got Mrs. FtG a wooden set many years ago. She uses it once in a while. So sort-of own, myself don’t use.

16

We have one. It’s been used. Not often, but I’ve definitely used it. Like when the pepper mill broke.

17

I answered yes, we have and use one. Then I searched for “molcajete” and discovered that my m&p is really a molcajete.

18

Closest thing I have is a pill crusher for the cats.

19

No, I already have a spice grinder which is all I would ever need one for.

I do often wonder if M&P would make for a better texture when making salsas though.

20

I voted “Yes, I own one & yes, I use it.” but the real answer is that I have several, and use them all frequently.

One is for spice mixes that contain chili, one for other spice mixes and for nuts and grains and one larger one for pesto, rose petals and mochi.